Extensible car-step



(No Model.)

JAMES P. WOOD & JOHN F. WOOD.

' EXTENSIBLE OAR STEP.

No 417,896. Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

W/TNESSES A IN VEN 70/? fl 4 1 M I BY MM/"M1 re V A TTOHNE Y8 N. PETERS,PhOiO-Lilhogmpher, Washington, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. \VOOD AND JOHN F. WOOD, OF XVILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

EXTENSIBLE CAR-STEP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,896, dated December24, 1889. Application filed October 18, 1889. Serial No. 327,448. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES F. WVOOD and JOHN F. 001), both of\Vilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, haveinvented a new and Improved Extensible Car-Step, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to extensible carsteps of the class illustrated,described, and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States N 0.103,237, granted to us on the 14th day of May, 1889, the object of thepresent invention being to improve the construction forming thesubject-matter of said patent; and to the end named the inventionconsists, essentially, of an extensible tread, guidingrods extendingupward therefrom, sockets through which said rods pass, a cylinderarranged to be placed in communication with the compressed airreservoir, a piston arranged within said cylinder, the stem of suchpiston being connected with the extensible tread, and a spring arrangedbelow the piston, whereby the tread is normally held in the raisedposition, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained, andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a car, representing the same asprovided with our step, the step being represented as it appears when inthe lowered position; and Fig. 2 is an end view of a car in partialsection, the steps being represented in full lines as they appear whenmoved to position beneath the lower tread of the fixed steps, and indotted lines as they appear when in their lowered position.

In the drawings, 10 represents the frame upon which the main treads 11are mounted. To the frame 10 there are connected sockets 12, whichsockets serve as guides for rods 13, that are bent outward near theirlower ends to support the extensible treads 14. To these lower treads 14we connect stems 15, which carry pistons 16, said pistons riding incylinders 17, that are connectedby a pipe 18, which pipe is in turn.connected by a pipe 19 with the train-pipe connected with thecompressed-air reservoir of the brake system. A three-way valve 20 isplaced in the pipe 19, from the plug of which an operating-handle 21extends to the car-plat form; but in order that the treads 14 may benormally held in the position in which they are shown in full lines inFig. 2 we arrange springs 22 between the lower ends of the cylinders 17and the under sides of the pistons 16. In this way we provide for thelowering of the steps at times when the brakes are applied, but weprevent the accidental lowering of such treads.

Under certain circumstances it might be desirable that the treads beheld up at times when the brakes are applied, which can be accomplishedby operating the valve 20 in the pipe 19; also, the brakeinan orconductor can lower the steps of one or two coaches, as desired.

By means of the construction above described We provide for the loweringof the treads 14 at stations where the platforms are so low as to renderit inconvenient for pas sengers to step upon the lower one of thepermanent treads, and consequently we avoid the necessity of usingportable steps such as have been heretofore employed.

If desired, the pipe 19 can be connected with an independent train-pipe,so that the lowering of the extensible treads will be under the controlof the engineer and can be operated independently of the brake system.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-- 1. The combination, with the permanent stepsof a car, of a tread 14, a means for guiding said tread, a stemextendingupward from the tread, a piston carried by the stem, a cylinder in whichthe piston rides, a connection between the cylinder and thecompressed-air reservoir, and a spring arranged beneath the piston,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the permanent steps of a car, extensible treadssupported valve in said second pipe, substantially as from said steps,stems extending upward from shown and described.

said extensible treads, pistons carried by said stems, cylinders inwhich said pistons ride, and springs arranged in connection with saidpistons, of a pipe connecting said cylinders, Witnesses:

a second pipe connecting said connecting- JAMES O.TooLE,

pipe with the train-pipe, and a three-way HENRY B. SMITH.

